


True love is like ghosts

by liionne



Series: A thousand ways to meet [21]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-31
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-31 01:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1025849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liionne/pseuds/liionne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU especially for Halloween - </p><p>Leonard is a ghost, in a house with a malevolent spirit, from which his must save the newest resident - a certain mister Jim Kirk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	True love is like ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is alright - I just wanted to do something for Halloween, and what is almost (almost) like a Ghost AU came to mind.
> 
> Hell, I might actually do a Ghost AU. Excuse me whilst I copyright that idea.
> 
> Title is from the quote: "True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen." from Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Leonard watched the new resident from the arm chair in the corner; long, nimblefingers curled around the edge of the seat, and he sighed. The last resident hadn't lasted more than six months, and the one before that even less. The time they were staying was getting shorter and shorter as He got more and more malevolent, and Leonard was pretty damn tired of moving vans outside.

When he walked into the room, Leonard stiffened. He knew that they couldn't see him, not unless he wanted them to, and so far, he hadn't wanted them to. But still, he kept still, locking his muscles as if that would make him fade into the seat cushions.

When the new resident - he was sure someone had called him Jim - didn't notice him, Leonard let the breath he had been holding. As Jim surveyed the room, he stood. The last resident had been an older guy, maybe in his fifties, with greying hair and arthritis in his left knee. Leonard had thought he'd be a good flat-mate, but he was just as cantankerous and crotchety as he was, and so they didn't get along very well.

Jim, however, seemed like he might be alright. He was young (ish), with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes that made Leonard only think of one thing.

He looked _alive_.

Which was more than could be said for him now, really.

Leonard left the room when he felt himself solidifying, hoping Jim hadn't seen the ghost of the first ever resident in that house.

~*~

James Tiberius Kirk was not a good flat mate.

He sang very loudly in the shower, dumped his dirty clothes where he pleased, and left the kitchen in a mess on a daily basis.

He didn't notice when Leonard cleaned the crumbs off the counter, nor did he notice when he quietly shut the bathroom door.

It was when leonard scooped up a whole pile of washing that he'd left just outside - literally, they were an inch away - the basket that he noticed.

He stood there, looking at the now full hamper, and then at the spot that the clothes had once been in. He stared for a very, very long time, and then he scratched the top of his head. Leonard silently cursed himself - _too much, Leo, you damn fool. Way to be discrete._

They both turned when they heard a chuckling from somewhere over their shoulders; Jim looked, and then, when he found nothing, turned back round to try to decipher the Ridde of the Hamper. Leonard stared into the darkness that creeped out of the door of the guest bedroom that had been slightly left ajar. "Get out of here." He growled.

He felt a little bit better when the room grew just a shade lighter.

~*~

For all of his faults, Leonard decided that he liked Jim. And so, he followed him round like a little lost puppy.

He was constantly on his heels, so much to the point that if he were to stop dead, Leonard would often bump into his back. Jim would spin round, a suspicious look turning down his features. Leonard would hold his breath, and then Jim would shake his head and carry on.

The darkness kept creeping into the edges of the room, bleeding through the walls and turning everything black. Leonard gave it a sharp glare and a few sharper words, and went back to his business.

Jim had started reading books on how to contact the dead. Leonard reminded himself to be more careful. But, because he couldn't let the darkness get Jim just yet, he continued to sit in the corner of the room by his bedside until he woke up in the morning.

~*~

It was six months after he'd moved in that Jim bought the ouija board.

"No, no, no, no, no-" Leonard chanted to himself, as he watched Jim turn all the lights down, light a few candles and some sage insence, and set the board up.

He could already feel the cold air on the back of his neck, causing the short hairs to rise. He looked around for Him - He loved this type of shit.

Leonard wasn't going to let him.

Jim took a few deep, steadying breaths as Leonard sat down opposite him. He placed his hands on the pointer, and asked, "Is there anybody there?"

Before He could get anywhere near it, Leonard placed his hands over Jim's, and moved the pointer to " _No_ ".

Jim opened his eyes, and frowned at the results. He looked up, and for a moment Leonard wondered if he could see him, they way he seemed to train those vibrant eyes so steadily on him. Jim huffed, and asked again, "Are there any spirits here?"

Leonard moved his hands back a little, and then back to " _no_ ".

Jim narrowed his eyes. "Alright. A snarky ghost. Great."

Leonard chuckled despite himself, his hands still laying gently over Jim's.

"Did you live in the house?" Jim asked.

Leonard moved the pointer to " _yes_ ". In spite of everything he believed in, he just wanted to talk to Jim.

He tried to ignore the darkness of the room, and turned his attention back to Jim and the board. "What's your name."

The candles flickered. Leonard swallowed hard, moving the pointer to spell out " _L E O_ ".

"Leo," Jim murmured. He gave a small smile that made Leonard think about stepping back. He could feel himself solidifying again, showing himself to Jim. He didn't want that.

"Are you alone, Leo?" Jim asked.

A cold breeze swept through the room, snuffing all of the candles but one. In the light that illuminated a small portion of the board, Leonard watched as the pointer was yanked out of his hand, and directed at " _no_ ".

Leonard couldn't think of anything else to do; he leaned forward, his lips next to Jim's ear as he whispered, "Run."

~*~

Jim did not run; He had already pinned him to the couch.

Sharp nails raked down his skin, spliting and tearing it in places. Maniacal laughter filled the room, and Leonard let instict take over. He tackled Him, taking him down to the ground whilst Jim gasped and whined, looking at his torn skin. He was bleeding pretty badly, but as much as he wanted to help, he had to get rid of Him.

"You're not wanted here Khan!" He yelled, pinning the demon to the ground. "Go back to where you're from!"

Khan hissed, throughing Leonard against the wall. Jim had scrambled from the sofa, but Khan was on his feet again by the time Jim had even found his footing.

Leonard, still winded and a little dizzy, threw himself at the demon.

"I was prepared to let you stay," He hissed, pinning Khan to the ground by his shoulders once again. "But you've gone too damn far."

Khan stared at him with black, soulless eyes. "And what are you going to do?" He growled. When Leonard's eyes found the crucifix on the wall, he chuckled darkly. "You know fine well that Catholicism doesn't work here. Remember her - Miss Marcus? She had half the church out here and yet-" Khan gave a sly smile. "Here I am."

Leonard grit his teeth. "In the name of Dian Cecht," He scowled, "I banish thee!"

~*~

Leonard McCoy had never been a demon hunter. In his lifetime, he had been a doctor, and a pretty good one at that. He might not have been able to save himself from the muderous new lover of his ex-wife, but he could certainly save Jim.

When Jim turned the lights on, Khan was gone. Leonard was looking a little worse for wear; Jim could see that. Jim could see everything. Leonard had been so focused on getting rid of Khan, he'd forgotten to hide himself from the new resident.

Jim stared at him with wide eyes, and Leonard rose slowly to his feet. He adjusted his waistcoat, and looked at Jim.

"Don't hurt me," Jim whispered.

Leonard held his hands up. "Wasn't plannin' on it."

"Are you Leo?" Jim asked.

"Well, it's Leonard. Leonard McCoy." He extended a hand towards Jim, and then thought better of it. Now was not the time for formal introductions.

Jim staggered forward a couple of steps. "Are you the good one?" He asked.

Leonard shrugged. "Depends on your definition of good."

When he gave a soft smirk, Jim gave a breathy laugh.

"Are you the one that's been bumping into me? Were you in my bedroom?" Jim asked.

Leonard coloured slightly, even though he was sort of lacking in blood. And a really body. "Yeah."

Jim's eyes widened. "Did you do my laundry?"

Leonard pursed his lips. "Someone had to."

Jim chuckled, leaning forward. Leonard wanted to reach out, to touch him, but he kept his hands by his sid/

"I've never wished I was dead before," Jim said. "But I kinda do now."

The look he gave Leonard was enough to make the spirit raise a hand, laying it on Jim's.

"Don't," He said. "Not yet."

Jim gave a soft smile, and nodded. "Not yet."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also taking prompts again, because college is stretching my imagination a little thin.


End file.
